A while back, we reported on the efforts of the Ohio legislature to label cars owned by sex offenders by issuing special license plates. Some argued that this was too intrusive. However, taking a look at the world situation, it appears the United States is out in front on this issue, at least with respect to Scotland.
The United States offers a free national sex offender registy, supplemented by many state ones, which can pinpoint offenders on a map and paint a color-coded picture of unease across America. In this country s.o. crimes are unique in terms of the registrations required, the ease with which offenders can be located, and the resulting impact on real-estate values. And in general, the U.S. is fairly open with criminal records. A dedicated investigator will find few legal obstacles. Elsewhere in the world, the situation is different. In both England and Scotland, the general public is not permitted access to the s.o. registry. Access is limited to cases where vigilante action is not a likely result. And in Scotland, this has led to the ruling that single mothers cannot ask police if their new partner is on the registry.
Since single mothers with children are probably an s.o.’s most attractive target, a number of experts have objected. The article cited above indicates that a policy review is underway that will probably lead to some form of community notification along the lines of the American Megan’s Law — though apparently, public access to the list will still be denied. It makes us appreciate the ease with which a background check and sex offender check can be obtained by parents in our country, checks that help keep children safe.